OCU officially refuses to recognize legitimacy of UOC-KP hierarchs

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) has issued an official statement in which it completely denies the canonical status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) and its leadership. The organization emphasized that the structure called «UOC-KP» does not legally and canonically exist, and its activities are characterized as making a split in church life.

According to the press service of the OCU, in a text dated April 1, 2026, the organization calls supporters of the UOC-KP an «unauthorized gathering» subject to «church condemnation.» Representatives of the OCU emphasized that all the «ordinations» performed by Filaret after December 15, 2018, were not and will not be recognized as valid.

As for the leadership of the UOC-KP, the position of the OCU remains extremely tough. In particular, it is argued that the current «patriarch» Nikodim Kobzar is not a bishop, as he was previously banned from the priesthood. Other prominent figures of the structure, Ioasaf Shibaev and Filaret Panku, were deprived of their priesthood by the decision of the conciliar court and are now considered ordinary monks.

At the end of the statement, the OCU emphasized that none of the persons speaking on behalf of the UOC-KP has the status of a «bishop» from a canonical point of view, and some of them are not even recognized as clergymen.

As reported, on March 27 and 29, 2026 , new hierarchs of the UOC-KP were appointed in Sumy. The events, led by the new head of the organization, Nikodim Kobzar, took place at the Epiphany Cathedral of the Sumy Diocese of the UOC-KP. In addition, the organization also appointed permanent members of the Synod of the UOC-KP.